The National Science Foundation's new PAPPG (Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide), effective for proposals with off-campus or off-site work due on or after January 30, 2023, requires proposers to certify that they have a plan for creating and maintaining Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus and Off-Site Research for that project. 
 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR NSF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

1. Determine whether any “off-campus or off-site research” will occur on their NSF-funded award (see definition below). Plans are only required for NSF-funded awards containing research that is conducted off-site or off-campus.
2. Complete the project specific information document (visit page at link and click on "project specific information document" hotlink).
3. Add the completed project specific information document to the routing form.
4. Distribute the project specific information document (“the plan”) to everyone who will participate in an off-campus or off-site research activity prior to those individuals leaving campus to engage in the off-site or off-campus research.
5. Retain documentation of who received the plan (email or signup sheet is sufficient) and the plan itself in their personal grant files or in the departmental grant file. 

IMPORTANT: The plan should not be submitted to NSF unless requested. Plans may be re-used and re-distributed for multiple off-campus research activities but must be updated if the specific content needs to change.  

Definition: NSF defines “off-campus or off-site research” for the purposes of this requirement as “data/information/ samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork on research vessels and aircraft.”

Please visit the following DSP website for further information and FAQs: https://dsp.research.uiowa.edu/nsf-safe-and-inclusive-working-environment-plan-campus-or-site-research